Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. You can view past posts from the series here.
This following article is a guest post from Alanna Ford.
The world is full of pressing challenges that increasingly demand our attention.
From global hunger, to climate change, to inequitable education, there are so many places and ways in which to direct our efforts, it is hard to know where to begin.
If we are to create significant and sustainable change in our increasingly inter-connected and inter-dependent global society, how do we nurture a culture of open-minded, pioneering ideas and innovation as a necessary means to bridging the gap?
How can we select the issues where our experience and skill sets will create the biggest impact? How do we know that the charities we support are the most effective with our money? How can we engage with the causes we care about beyond simply writing a check? And what are the new, innovative ways of approaching these age-old problems?
These are the questions the team and I from Adessy Associates were grappling with when we decided to launch a new fellowship program for world-changers. Pioneers for Change has been born out of a desire to gather together an international cohort of remarkable people to examine how they can create and progress their social impact; to creatively explore, problem solve and harness their energy and influence to make the world a better place.
Pioneers for Change is a 6-month fellowship that will kick off in November with a 2-day residential in London followed by 6 months of individual, virtual executive coaching and mentoring. The highly interactive program combines the latest thinking, dynamic dialogue, and storytelling from renowned expert contributors. The small cohort of selected fellows will gain new perspective; a network of brilliant, likeminded people; tangible tools; and insight from international leaders on the forefront of their fields. In essence, Pioneers for Change will act as a catalyst for change, by inspiring and empowering those who want to do more than just write a check, to help address the greatest issues of our time.
Pioneers for Change is currently accepting applications for fellows. If it sounds like a program you would like to be apart of, please reach out to me at alanna@pioneers-for-change.com to arrange a chat or request an application.
Alanna Ford works at the intersection of women’s empowerment, international development and social entrepreneurship. She’s lived in three countries in the last three years. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
